COOK AN OCTOPUS!

This is a seafood item that seems to be just off the radar of most home cooks. Maybe it looks a little too alien in the seafood case, maybe it seems just a little too chefy. Maybe there just aren’t enough recipes out there to get people interested. Octopus is a popular Asian and Mediterranean meal, but it rarely makes its way into the typical American kitchen. That is a shame, because octopus is not difficult to cook and is pretty forgiving. It doesn’t have any scary flavors and the texture is beautiful. The only thing bad that can happen to it is that it could come out tough, but that is controllable. With octopus, I always say, 60 seconds or 60 minutes, and nothing in between. You can grill it quickly over fire and take it off before it seizes up or you can boil it for a long time to break down those dense muscle fibers.

Try THIS SIMPLE RECIPE, that is not only light and delicious with subtle citrus flavors, but also looks just gorgeous on a platter.

You can buy a whole frozen octopus for around $10 to $15 in an Asian grocery or you can probably find one for a little bit more money at Whole Foods or a seafood specialty market. These are almost always sold frozen and I never notice the quality being any lower than a fresh one. The kids will get a kick out of the monster in the kitchen when you unwrap it after you thaw it out. If you are a grown-up child like me, you will enjoy releasing the Kraken into a big pot of boiling water. Everyone will enjoy eating this adventurous appetizer. Give this one a try. I’m pretty confident you’ll come back for more.